1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paste and solid material dispenser and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a mechanical apparatus for the dispensing of toiletry and cosmetic materials, such as toothpaste, deodorant and the like.
2. History of the Prior Art
There has been a long-felt need to provide a handy toiletry dispensing apparatus which can dispense such items as toothpaste, lipstick, stick deodorant and the like.
Many attempts have been made to provide toothbrushes which carry their own supply of toothpaste in the handle or in a compartment associated with the toothbrush primarily for the purposes of portability to obviate the need of carrying a toothbrush and separately carrying a tube of toothpaste. Until the disclosure of my co-pending application, there had been little success in providing such an apparatus that is simple and economical in construction and yet effective in getting the job done. However, even with the apparatus of my co-pending application, after a cartridge of toothpaste has been expelled, it would be necessary to rotate the operator member in order to withdraw the drive member to accept a new cartridge.
Other dispensers of toiletry and cosmetic products, such as stick deodorant and lipstick, while being reasonably effective, are wasteful in that the dispenser which moves the product out of the container is typically discarded after the container is empty. These devices usually have a cranking mechanism at one end thereof coupled with either a threaded rod or other mechanical device to move the product out the opposite end. Even though these dispensing devices are relatively unsophisticated, the discarding of the container after it is empty is both wasteful from a natural resource standpoint and it significantly adds to the cost of the material being dispensed, all of which must ultimately be borne by the consumer.